The Guardians of Armadyl
This group acknowledges the history of this page and this page. The Guardians of Armadyl are the most prominent military order devoted to Armadyl, God of Law and Justice. Historically based in the Temple of Ikov, their traditional duty was to defend the Staff of Armadyl - an famous relic of unimaginable power. Unfortunately, the Mahjarrat Lucien craved this power and ensured that the Staff be taken - yet this amounted to nothing, as his plots led to his own destruction. With Lucien's, this role-played faction of the Guard revert to the primary directive - the defence and promotion of justice, over all else, across Gielinor. To ensure that in Gielinor, no one should meet injustice and that evil, in all it's forms, can be vanquished. After the death of Guthix, and return of the gods, the Guardians now have a new goal, locating the Staff of Armadyl, and stopping those who commit action against Justice. History After the Mahjarrat Lucien's defeat, not much is known about the Guardians or what they have done afterwards, this section will talk about their history during the fifth age now. Year 1, Sixth age During the beginning of the first year, the Guardians have overheard the death of Guthix and were glad that their god could now return. With this discovery, they decided to find a way to signal their god via a beam headed towards the sky in their name. This idea wasn't their alone, others such as Saradominists, Zamorakians and the Bandosians have all done the same thing. This caused a conflict with each side, not wanting the opposing gods to arrive first. Armadyl vs Bandos Main Article: The Bandosian-Armadylean Conflict Despite the return of their gods, they continue this conflict to this day believing it would help their cause somehow. Soon Armadyl had gone into battle with Bandos, where the Guardians and other followers of Armadyl would gather divine energy for his weapon, in hope to finally kill the evil war god. Despite the victory in beginning of the second year, the Guardians did suffer defeat of minor battle in the hands of the Bandosians, The Worshippers of the Dragonkin and The Godless with Kinshra's help. Year 3-4, Sixth age A pious and ambitious convert to Armadyleanism, Joanna Lavelle traveled to the Guardians' operations in the Temple of Ikov and quickly established a position as their leader. Devoted to enforcing justice around the globe, Joanna quickly led the Order into conflict with the slaving operations on Karamja. Without enough resources to mount a responsible war effort and lacking any help from the governments of the world, the steady contention between the groups failed to lead anywhere. The newly reformed order was sent to the Kinshra invasion of Falador, initially as nonviolent actors to protect civilians. The Guardians quickly shifted gears and engaged the Kinshra in combat after witnessing the group's war crimes. Guardians battled Kinshra deep within the city, and helped prevent the knights from reaching Falador Castle. Joanna Lavelle wrote the Doctrine of the Gielinorian's Natural Rights in response to the Kinshra's actions during this event. With David Ornus Dan stepped down from leadership, so TJ established the character David Ornus to take up the role of Grandmaster. David was an old man who had spent many years helping the Guardians operate behind the scenes, and he took a slightly more passive approach to the job. As a part of the Sliske's Countdown RP, the Chosen Battalion launched a surprise attack on Armadyl's Tower, shaking the defenders and killing many. David secretly met with sects of the Zarosian and Serenist factions with the intent of creating a team to fight the Bandosians and thwart their attempts to rebuild the Scarecrow. The Zarosians, at that time led by a being known as Mr. X, gave David a teleportation beacon to use during an invasion of White Wolf Mountain. David ended up disabling the beacon and giving up hope for his secret coalition when the Zarosians turned on the Serenists, brutally murdering the elves after inviting them to the Digsite under friendly pretenses. Having been defeated at every turn, the Guardians disappeared from the world stage for some time. With Camelot After the Aerandyl takeover of Kandarin, Camelot was proclaimed an independent nation. The kingdom was led by a king, chancellor, and Armadylean archon, and the official religion became Armadyleanism. The Guardians came to Camelot’s aid when the Chosen Battalion descended from their mountain and sieged Catherby. The Telemaitte elves, an ally of Camelot, left the battle to take Camelot for themselves, and much of the Camelotian and Guardian military were killed, and Catherby was turned into a Bandosian settlement. The Telemaitte, now in control of Camelot, negotiated a peace deal with the Bandosians that eliminated Armadyleanism as the official religion of Camelot and placed a tax on the Armadylean people. This secured peace but has caused a well-deserved resentment for the Telemaitte, and an Armadylean bishop incited a rebellion. King Nolfinwe responded by not only massacring the rebel army but also imprisoning and killing most of their families, leading the Guardians to condemn Camelot. A lack of resources prevented further action. Judge's Call To support their diminishing ranks and dwindling supplies, Grandmaster David sent out a call to adventurers around the world to help explore an abandoned citadel from the Second Age and loot it for resources. When the search party arrived at the citadel, they didn't find much. The place was entirely desolated, littered with brown-yellow skeletons and blackened plate armor. Only a single structure remained standing, in which was discovered the stiff body of an orange aviansie, missing a wing and seemingly killed by a sword through the chest. It spoke with telepathy, identifying itself as Selori. She informed the group that she had been killed by a Temple Knight when a Saradominist army turned on the aviansies, and had preserved her mind and body through magic. The Saradominists were after the treasures of the Library, the citadel on which they currently stood. Selori claimed that they were on a segment that had been separated during the attack, and that the treasures must be on the other half of the Library, which sat under a storm cloud and over the Wilderness. TzHaar-Ket-Kal, a TzHaar blessed with the ability to survive outside his volcanic home, ventured to the other half of the citadel. After venturing through a subterranean swamp cave that had developed its own unique ecosystem, he surfaced in an Armadylean fort, already picked clean. Outside was an desolate field of mud, in the center of which lay a silver suit of Eagle aviansie armor. Upon approaching it the armor was animated by killerwatts, creating an electric being that nearly killed the TzHaar before being forcibly dispersed. Ket-Kal discovered a note on the body of a deceased Guardian laying near the Eagle aviansie. Dated back in the Second Age, it detailed how the Guardians had returned to the citadel and moved its contents to a secret room in the Temple of Ikov. The secret room had proved impossible to find, however the Grandmaster developed an unusual plan- to enter the memories of Guardians past, discovered in a cavern previously unearthed near Camelot, and to see the room for themselves before it was covered up. The group met with Guardian Seraph Gavin Tybrin who, along with an Armadylean diviner, oversaw their entrance into the ancient memories. The group found themselves in unfamiliar bodies, in a crowd of scared civilians. Alexander, the archon of Ikov, finished his inspirational speech and charged Xanthos, the man who's memory TzHaar-Ket-Kal had inhabited, with the defense of this cavern. To this end he handed Xanthos a metal key, which could teleport him to a pocket dimension full of supplies. The archon then called on a mercenary, who's memory was inhabited by a human/elven child of Camelot, to come with him and seek counsel with Armadyl before the impending battle. Alexander confided with the foreigner that the city and all of the strategoi, his generals, had been killed by a general of Bandos named Malku Korol. Armadyl would not be able to lend assistance, and Alexander knew this. Instead he took out an ancient purple book, stolen from the Zarosians of the north. He summoned an ice demon, known as Syfer the Heretical, and formed a demonic pact. Alexander then killed the mercenary, ashamedly hiding his Faustian bargain. Knowledge of this event is currently limited to whoever the halfbreed child has chosen to share it with. When Alexander returned, he found that Xanthos had not built a defense at all. Instead, he had navigated a way across the river of lava that separated the Temple of Ikov from the Guardian Sanctum. The forces of Malku Korol arrived and could not cross the lava, however among them were the fire warriors and giants of Lesarkus. The humans were nearly overwhelmed, but they were saved by the interference of Syfer. The demon summoned an army of ice warriors and weaponry, effectively holding back the invasion. Alexander then went into the Guardian Sanctum, where the Aviantese smiths had finished their work. He held aloft the Godsword, and with it directed a charge into Malku Korol's throne room in the foothills of White Wolf Mountain. Malku Korol, the Little King, sat alone in his throne room. The skavid general declared himself a god, and killed Alexander instantly with a blast from the Staff of Armadyl. Xanthos picked up the Godsword and killed Malku Korol with it, causing the skavid to fall into his throne and turn to stone. Xanthos then succumbed to his injuries, leaving the fate of the Staff unknown. In the present, Ket-Kal relayed what he had found. There was no key (or human body) present in the excavated throne room, so the Guardians tracked down the site where Xanthos had been buried. The key was there, but upon teleporting to the room they found it entirely empty, save for a piece of paper. "Finders keepers losers weepers, Love, the Nocturnals." he treasure room had been found, but its contents were gone! Stolen by a group of thieves known as the Nocturnals, most of whom were put away years ago. One of them was still behind bars in Yanille, so Grandmaster David had a small group sent to interrogate him and find the treasure. David gave one of the adventurers, a man by the name of John Savannah, a small, metal teleportation beacon (regifted from the Zarosians) in case they came across trouble, so that the reserve forces of Guardians could teleport to their aid. After being forcefully interrogated, the thief explained that he was arrested after being double crossed by his boss, an enigmatic figure known as The Firemaker, who has a criminal record in Kandarin, Asgarnia, Misthalin and Al Kharid on hundreds of accounts of theft and arson. The thief admitted that the Nocturnals had used an abandoned warehouse southeast of Yanille as a base of operations. Upon getting there, the group found that the warehouse was not abandoned at all, but occupied by a group of young men playing a game on dice and paper. John begrudgingly created a character and played along. The leader of the game, who called himself Wardstone, revealed that his name was actually Jeffrey Lux and that the warehouse was now owned by his father Michael. At his estates northeast of Ardougne, Michael Lux explained that The Firemaker was on a quest to spite him, after the noble had foiled his thieving operation in Camelot. He had since made a habit of purchasing his buildings of operation in Lux's name. The Firemaker is something of a kleptomaniac, so he would not pass up an opportunity to steal something valuable from the Lux family. Michael suggested setting up a fake auction for his late brother's silver paladin armor to lure the thief out of hiding. The only problem was the armor wasn't Michael's to auction- his brother had dedicated it to his adopted son from Morytania, Ray. The young man had gone missing, however, so the armor sat ownerless somewhere in Falador. The group traveled to the Monastery where Ray had lived and spoke to the monks there. Much to their surprise, one of the monks was choked to death with an abyssal whip by a man in black robes. The man said his name was Cecil, but he had previously been known as Ray, and that the armor was his. He agreed to give the armor up after being offered a share of the treasure. A fake auction was held, and The Firemaker showed up as expected. Despite the group's best efforts, however, he was able to steal the armor and get away. Heartbroken, John prepared to return to the Grandmaster empty-handed when he realized The Firemaker had pick-pocketed him during the fight, he had stolen the teleportation beacon. John and some Guardians of Armadyl teleported to the beacon, right into the treasure-laden SS Dawn. They battled The Firemaker's crew on the deck, and chased him onto the rocks after his ship crashed, eventually defeating him. The Firemaker was returned to Skyreach, however upon touching the treasure a cold voice spoke to them. "Do you expect to have your riches without giving anything in return? You broke your deal, Armadyleans. I will have my payment, and the Guardians of Armadyl will have their reckoning." Those that returned to Skyreach would find it covered in fire and ice. Selori, the ancient aviansie of the Library, stood above an army of ice warriors and skeletons, along with Cecil and The Firemaker. "I was after the treasure in the Library, but you fools have since told me that Skyreach contains a far greater reward- the power to kill a God. I couldn't have my way in the Second Age, my body was killed and I was forced to inhabit this one. But now, Guardians, Zamorak's time has come." The Guardians never received their reinforcements. The Zamorakians broke into the central chamber, killing all that was left of the Order. The Focus was taken into the care of the ice demon Syfer, while the treasure was split evenly among the rest of those assembled. Syfer transformed Skyreach into an icy stronghold, plotting to finish charging the weapon and wreak havoc. Sliske's Endgame The Guardians in the Sliske endgame traveled with Armadyl in hope to aid him in winning the Stone of Jas, the outcome is unknown to them, but words did spread of the Stone's Destruction, and the disappearance of the Staff. Year 5, Sixth age With the organization back into hiding, Lukani took over the order, in hope to locate the staff, and now act as a police and judge to crimes across Gielinor. Soon the new Guild Master had a meeting with Charkiless, and Cyrus to talk about their new goal and mission. This involved soon a new recruit into the order. Things are looking up for the Guardians of Armadyl. While gathering a bunch of new recruits, the guardians had gathered a handful of allies as well. Their first being of Yanille, an order of Saradominist known as The Pacem Order. They requested an alliance with the guardians. Their leader, Solus Spero met them at the divine focus and spoke with them on the terms for the alliance. The guardians requested to have their own authority in Yanille, and give a fair trial to the unjust. In return they are to help the Pacem in a crusade. This was agreed, as none of the two orders opposed to the terms. Solus left back to Yanille, as the guardians make preparation to send their numbers towards Yanille. Category:Armadylean Category:Faction Category:Organization Category:Lawful Category:Incomplete Articles